


Green Spirits

by JKlog



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s03e01 Warriors, First Time, M/M, Sentinel/Guide Bonding, Slash, Spirit World, Spiritual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-30 10:26:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10874850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JKlog/pseuds/JKlog
Summary: Blair receives the way of the shaman from Incacha, and with it, a new ability that leaves Jim amazed.





	Green Spirits

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Espíritus verdes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10665723) by [JKlog](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JKlog/pseuds/JKlog). 



> This is my second story in English. It's a translation of "Espíritus verdes" that I already posted in Spanish.  
> I'd be very grateful if you made comments, either if you liked it or not.  
> I hope you like it.

[](https://imgur.com/WiTr4fk)

The woman observed, with an expression of absolute coldness, the lifeless body that had been her home for several years. He was in front of her, lying on the floor. She’d given him the kiss of death. For her it had meant life. She took a handkerchief from the table drawer, and wiped the blood from her lips. Now she had to get rid of the evidence. She’d learned a lot about that by working as a police officer. That was what the man who was lying dead before her had dedicated himself to. He was just an empty shell now.

She went to the basement of the house and grabbed a gas can. She carried it upstairs to the bedroom and showered a good amount on the body and the bed. Then she picked up a box of matches she had in the body that was hers before, and lit one, threw it, and ran out of the house. She covered her head with the hood of his jacket, in case a neighbor was looking and could recognize her later.

But it was very late at night, she doubted anyone was awake.

She sat at the wheel of the car that now belonged to her and watched as the policeman's house caught fire. It had always fascinated her, the fire, perhaps because she had always feared it, when she was only a small plant. Back in Tibet, it had been so long, so long ago. She started the engine and drove away, as quietly as she could.

She had searched for a long time. From that first time, thanks to a wound which the monk had inflicted by pricking himself with her thorns, she had passed from his vegetable body to an animal body. The change had been unnerving, overwhelming. But soon she adapted to the fact of having legs and to be able to move. She also realized that she could use the memories, knowledge, and skills of the host. And that the change of body supposed the death of the previous one. She could see the cactus dry and die, in the small garden that was at the backyard of the temple. A deep sadness had seized her.

However, from what she had learned from the monk whose body she lived in, life was that, change. She had learned many things by talking to him. About the great and small at the same time that was the world. She wanted to know it and the wonders it kept. Among them there was one, of which the monk had spoken to her, which attracted her particularly. Now that she could walk and change body whenever she wanted, she was going to look for that. An extraordinary being with unusual abilities. She wanted to be one of them.

A Sentinel.

* * *

 

Blair Sandburg opened the door to find Incacha lying on the floor, bleeding.

"Oh, no, no."

He lifted him and, with much effort, dragged him from under his arms and laid him on the couch, being careful not to touch the wound in his belly.

"Enqueri ..." muttered Incacha, and a few words in Quechua, which Blair didn’t understand. He rose from the floor, where he had been kneeling beside the wounded man, went to the telephone and made a call.

"Ellison," Jim answered from the other side.

"Jim, you have to come right away. It's Incacha, he's hurt. "

"Is Incacha in the loft?"

"Yes, and he's badly hurt."

"Call an ambulance. I'm on my way, " and cut off the communication.

Blair called 911 and requested an ambulance. Incacha continued speaking softly. Blair looked at him and something caught his attention. As he spoke, Incacha stared at a plant on the coffee table. He couldn’t be talking to the plant, could he? If it weren’t for the seriousness of the situation, Blair would have laughed.

Twenty minutes passed in which the chopec Shaman alternated talking to the plant and Blair, who of course didn’t understand anything. As Incacha talked to the plant, groaning in pain, Blair was staring at it, almost expecting it to move, or do something. _How ridiculous!_ he thought. _Plants don’t talk, they don’t think, they don’t feel anything. At least that's what they've always taught us. All they do is take nutrients from the earth and do the photosynthesis._

Perhaps Incacha was just raving, in his almost dying state.

There was the sound of the lock, and Ellison entered. Almost running, he approached the sofa, kneeling beside his friend from the jungles of Peru. He took his hand, comforting him with soft words in Quechua. Blair also knelt beside him.

"Enqueri ..." whispered Incacha.

"Incacha ..." Jim said, and spoke a few words in Quechua.

Incacha responded and Jim translated for Blair, "They captured Spalding. They're taking him to a ship that sails tonight. "

"Who shot him?" Blair asked.

Incacha and Jim exchanged words in Quechua.

"By the description seems to be Yeagar. He followed Spalding and the chopec. Ah ... " he continued speaking in Quechua. Incacha answered him.

"They're taking him to ... a jungle in the sky," Jim translated.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"I dont know."

Incacha said something else. Jim was silent for a moment, then said, "He wants me to be a Sentinel once more, to help save the tribe."

“Good, good. It's about time, " Blair said. Incacha grabbed hold of Blair's arm. "Hey, hey," said Blair. The chopec said a few words, and Ellison translated, "He passes over the way of the shaman to you. He wants you to guide me to my animal spirit.”

"Jim, ask him how I do that. I don’t know how to do that."

Jim had lost his senses in response to having nearly killed a guard in a store when he was chasing after thieves. According to him, his senses had deceived him and so, and according to Blair for a psychosomatic response, he had suppressed them.

Jim looked at Incacha, and saw him close his eyes, his hand on Blair's arm slipping, limp, leaving a trail of blood. With horror, both friends saw Incacha die.

 

* * *

 

When the ambulance finally arrived, it was only to verify the death of the Chopec Shaman. Jim went into a state of despair, didn’t want Incacha to be photographed, or taken to the morgue.  He demanded respect for his friend. Blair tried to calm him down, which led to shouts, a little pushes and blows, not too serious. In the end, Jim gave in.

After the corpse was taken away, Blair decided to do what the chopec Shaman had asked him to do, to guide Jim to his animal spirit. For that they went to the roof of the building. He asked the former Sentinel to listen to music in the headphones to help him relax.

"What if I can’t do it?"

"Yes, you can. A sentinel is always a sentinel if he chooses to be one. Close your eyes. Now I want you to imagine your animal spirit. Go where he lives. "

_Jim opened his eyes to find that he was in a blue jungle. He ran behind the black jaguar, his animal spirit, which led him to an altar on the outskirts of a temple. The jaguar jumped on the altar and became a James Ellison, as it was when he was in Peru. They stared at each other._

_"What do you fear?" the spirit asked._

_"I fear ... being a sentinel."_

_"What do you fear?"_

_"I fear responsibility."_

_“Sentinel or not, your responsibility is to be accountable for your actions and to learn from your mistakes just like any man.”_

_"What about my senses?"_

_“Reject them and the responsibility remains. Accept them and you accept the gift.”_

_The spirit changed back into a black jaguar, which roared and jumped toward Jim, merging with his chest._

 

* * *

 

Ellison comes back to reality, takes off his headphones and stands up. His hearing has become hypersensitive again. He listens to conversations in another building. He can see a seagull in the distance.

Blair reminds him of the jungle in the sky. Jim looks around and sees what he's looking for. A greenhouse on the roof of a building.

They head there. When they arrive, looking up, Jim realizes that they are about to kill the chopec. He sees a fire sprinkler and shoots it, causing it to spray water. This distraction gives the chopec a chance to hide in the greenhouse. Shots are heard.

Jim and Blair decide to go up. Luckily, there is an elevator that reaches the floor before the ceiling. When they are inside, Jim hits the walls impatiently. Blair asks him to calm down.

Finally, the elevator opens and they run up the stairs, hoping not to arrive too late. The door to the roof is open. Jim pulls out his gun and carefully walks out the door. One of Yeagar's men sees him and shoots him. Luckily, Jim ducks in time and shoots, hitting the criminal under the knee. This one falls with a cry of pain, releasing his weapon. Blair, now just outside the door, puts the handcuffs on him.

Yeagar appears behind some plants and goes towards Jim. They fight. His other accomplice heads towards Blair, who, in despair, looks around, looking for what to confront him with. Then, he sees a hose on the floor, catches it and opens it, directing the strong jet towards the delinquent. He keeps him at bay, while looking to see that Jim managed to beat Yeagar, giving him a strong punch that leaves him unconscious.

Ellison comes to Blair's aid, holding the criminal from behind. Sandburg releases the hose and between the two of them, they tie the hands of the man.

Seeing that everything was under control, the chopec appear, taking Spalding with them, hands tied. Jim speaks to them in their language, telling them that he understood that they wanted justice for what Cyclops Oil had done in their land, but that there also had to be justice in Cascade, so they had to hand over Spalding.

Meanwhile, Blair is talking on the phone with Simon, telling him everything that has happened. Banks tells him they have to keep the chopec there to question them.

Suddenly he begins to hear voices that were neither of the chopec, nor of Jim, nor of Spalding, nor of any of the others. They sound like they come from all directions, but that can’t be happening. Actually, he can’t be listening to those voices. They say several things, among them, "Welcome, Great Shaman to our humble abode. Welcome your friends. We give thanks to the Great Spirit that everything went well."

He cuts the communication with Simon and addresses Jim, who’s still negotiating with the chopec. "Do you hear that, Jim?"

"What do you mean?"

"To those voices, those who say 'Welcome, Great Shaman.'"

"I don’t hear anything, and certainly if I don’t listen, it's because there's nothing to listen to."

But Blair continues to hear the voices. Exasperated, he shouts, "Shut up, shut up, please!" And covers his ears with his hands. The chopec, seeing this, ask Ellison what is wrong. Jim explains them and they ask him if Sandburg is a shaman. The detective explains that Incacha has passed Blair the way of the shaman before he died. The warriors are shocked to find out that Incacha is dead. One of them tells Jim, "If your friend is a Shaman, then he can hear the spirits, even those of the plants. Surely it is them who want to communicate with him now. "

"Chief, you won’t believe this, but those voices are from the plants. That's what they told me," he says, pointing to the chopec. "Looks like it has to do with Incacha passing over the way of the shaman to you.”

"I can’t believe it. I’m a Shaman, " Blair says, with his large blue eyes bigger than ever and looking dreamily at a pumpkin plant.

The chopecs talk to Jim and he translates, "They want to know what they're telling you."

"Now they’re saying 'Blessings to the good men.'"

Jim passes them the info and the chopec laugh, apparently pleased by what the plants say. Almost without transition, their faces darken, remembering their missing Shaman. They ask Jim if they can take Incacha's body. He looks at the floor, embarrassed, and replies that this is not up to him, that he has to speak to the competent authorities.

* * *

 

The chopec warriors disappeared while Ellison took care of Spalding. He was putting him into a police car, and when he turned around, they were gone.

Simon was very angry about that. But there was nothing to do, despite the intense search, the chopec didn’t appear. Jim and Blair didn’t say anything about the ship that was sailing that night. They knew that the warriors had trusted them by giving Spalding to them, they didn’t want to betray that trust. In addition to not wanting to betray Incacha, who had asked the Sentinel to help his tribe.

As for the body of Incacha, Ellison had promised the Chopec that he would do everything possible to send him to Peru, and if he could, to the region of La Montaña where he was originally from.

They went to the police station to do the paperwork for the case, enclosing the information that Janet Myers had sent them. Thanks to her, justice would be done. Blair still felt very bad about the young executive's murder, he still thought he was partly to blame for having involved her. But on the other hand, he was comforted by the fact that Cyclops Oils was no longer going to extract oil from Chopec territory, allowing the tribe that had received Jim to live in peace. Ellison felt the same way.

* * *

 

Simon allowed them to go straight to the apartment, leaving the paperwork for the next day. The trip in the truck was made in silence, although Ellison had many questions to ask Blair. Especially about his new condition of Shaman and what had happened in the greenhouse. About his new skill. Ellison still couldn’t believe it. Listen to plant spirits? What was that for? On one hand, he doubted it, but on the other hand, he himself had had a close encounter with the spiritual when speaking with his animal spirit. Thanks to that he had regained his senses. How could he doubt Blair's ability to communicate with the spirits? If the same Incacha had passed that ability. He had witnessed that. There was another thing that made him feel good. Not only he was a "freak" now. Now Blair was too. Ha!

He parked in his usual spot in front of 852 Prospect Avenue and they both got out, striding tiredly toward the front door. Luckily, the elevator worked. They entered apartment 307 and after closing the door and hanging up their jackets, the two of them headed for the couch. They threw themselves on it with a sigh of relief, both with their eyes closed and their head resting on the back.

"Chief, I don’t think I can move even if the loft is set on fire."

"Me neither," replied Sandburg, "but I could use a beer now ..."

"Me too. But who’s going to get it? "

"I'll go, but let me rest a little ..."

A few minutes passed and neither of them moved. Ellison looked at the coffee table and saw the plant Naomi had given them. It was a Spider plant. It was easy to maintain and also an excellent indoor plant. It was said to serve to purify the air.

Would it be possible? Jim couldn’t help asking.

"Chief, does this plant tell you anything?"

Sandburg straightened his back and leaned toward the Spider plant. He looked at it intensely for a few seconds, then leaned back.

"Doesn’t tell me anything, Jim."

"Of course not, if you didn’t ask anything. You have to talk to it so it can answer you. "

"I don’t feel like talking to anyone, Ellison."

"Blair Sandburg not wanting to talk? I can’t believe it. "

"Ha, ha. Well, believe it, because it's true. "

They were silent for a few more minutes. Finally Ellison couldn’t contain his curiosity.

"Please, make the effort. Communicate with it. "

"All right, all right," said Sandburg, thinking that if he refused, then Jim would refuse to do the tests he proposed. "See, little plant, what can I ask you? Are you happy living with us?"

That said, they both stared at the plant in question. A minute passed, two passed ...

"And? Did it say something?" Jim asked expectantly.

"Nothing at all. I don’t think I have the 'power' anymore. Or this particular plant doesn’t want to talk to me."

"Ugh!" Exclaimed Jim, raising his arms and letting them fall, “Damn!"

They were silent again. Suddenly, Ellison looked at his partner and said, "Maybe you have to talk to your animal spirit, as I had to do to regain my senses."

"I don’t know, Jim, I don’t know if I have a spirit guide like you. Whatever it is, we'd better leave it for tomorrow.  Are you hungry? Because I’m not, I really want to go to bed early. "

"Yeah, I'm not hungry, either. We’d better go to bed now. Tomorrow will be another day."

They both rose from the couch. But Blair froze, opened his eyes wide and put his hands to his chest. Then he closed his eyes, squeezed them tightly and winced.

"What's wrong? Blair? "

The anthropologist sat down again, touching his chest. After a while, he opened his eyes again.

"I don’t get it. I'm feeling good and suddenly I feel a pain in the chest, like a very great sadness. I don’t get it."

"A sadness?"

"Yes, as a pain of loss ... as if a loved one had died."

"Well, the only person we've recently lost is Incacha ..." Jim said, putting a hand on Blair's shoulder.

"Yes, but it’s not my pain. It's as if someone is transmitting their feelings to me." He dropped his hands on his legs and looked at the plant.

"I think it's its feelings," he said, nodding to the Spider plant. At that moment he remembered how Incacha seemed to have been talking to the plant just before he died. Would that be it? Would the plant be sad about the loss of the Shaman?

"The plant talked to Incacha before ... well, he was gone. I witnessed it. At that moment I didn’t understand, but now I do. The plant is saddened by what happened to Incacha."

"Now that you say it, I think the plant looks sad," said Jim. "I'm going to give it some water."

He took a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water and put a little to the sad plant. "What do you feel now?" he asked Blair.

"I think it feels better, although I still feel that sense of sadness. Would it be good if I touch it?"

"I don’t know. Why don’t you try it?"

Blair walked over to the poor plant and caressed one leaf, then another, then with both hands. He continued to do that for a while, then paused, smiling. "I think it did it good. It's not sad anymore. "

"That shows that plants are easier than people. I’d still be sad despite the caresses."

The anthropologist stared at his friend, an expression of concern on his face. "You must be very sad too. I mean, about Incacha. "

"Yes, I really regret his death and much more that he had to die so far from his land. But don’t worry, I'll get over it. Oh, and I have something to tell you. The chopec told me I was no longer their Sentinel."

"What? After everything you went through for them?"

"They said I was now the Sentinel of the Great City."

"Ah. That means I am the Shaman of the Great City."

"It seems so, Chief."

"Okay. Good night, Jim. Good night, plant. "

"Good night, Shaman."

 

* * *

 

The next day, at breakfast, Jim joked with Blair about his algae shake. How could he drink it knowing it was made of plants? Sandburg replied that with this criterion, the Sentinel shouldn’t eat meat from animals, now that he had a spirit guide that was an animal and had talked to him. Jim replied that he would never eat jaguar meat.

"Never say never, Jim,” his friend replied.

Before leaving, Blair made another attempt to communicate with the Spider plant, but failed. Either the plant didn’t want to talk, or he still didn’t know how to make use of his new ability.

Ellison went to the police station and Sandburg went to Rainier. He had to give an Anthro 101 class. So Jim found himself alone at his desk, which he didn’t like very much. He’d grown accustomed to having the observer by his side. In fact, more than habit, it was necessity. Although he would never admit it out loud. He didn’t like having to need someone. He had always managed on his own. But ever since the anthropology student had entered that room of the Cascade General, pretending to be a doctor, the need had grown day by day. Now it was impossible to stop it, even though his senses were under control, thanks to Sandburg's discovery of the "dials". No, it wasn’t about control or getting accustomed, it was something else. He didn’t know what it was, all he knew was that he was terrified of the possibility that Sandburg would end his thesis and decide to move. Not having him close daily seemed horrendous. Though he knew they would still be friends, things would change profoundly. And that terrified him. But he would never admit it out loud. Hell, he found it difficult to admit it to himself.

He was so absorbed in these thoughts and staring at his computer screen that he didn’t realize that a woman had entered the Major Crimes Unit and then the Captain's office.

"Ellison!" Banks called from her office door. "I'm going, I'm going," Ellison replied, taking the folder from the last case he was investigating, thinking that the captain wanted an update of the information.

When he entered, he was paralyzed to see a very beautiful woman smiling at him. She was blond, with straight hair at shoulder length. Her eyes were brown and a little almond-shaped. Her skin was very white. Her height was more or less the same of Sandburg and she was thin. She was young, about thirty-something years old. She was dressed in a gray suit, short skirt and a melon-colored shirt. From the way she dressed, she reminded him of Carolyn a little, though she didn’t wear high heels.

"Ellison, this is Detective Katie Madison. She comes from the New York PD. From now on she’ll be part of our squad."

Ellison reached out his hand, and the new detective took it, giving it a strong squeeze.

"It’s my pleasure to meet you, Detective Ellison. I hope we can work well together," said Madison. Her voice was very sweet, and Jim found that he liked it very much. Almost as much as Sandburg's voice.

"It's a pleasure for me too. But we’re going to work together? How is that, sir?"

"Yes, yes, I know you already have a partner. But I thought that for Detective Madison to get used to working on Major Crimes, I could make her work with you for a while. It's only for a while, Jim."

Jim didn’t like this, even though he had so far had a good impression of Detective Katie Madison. He worked with Sandburg, and no one else.

"Is that an order, Simon?"

"Yes. Since now. Oh, and I’ll thank you if you can introduce her to the rest of our people."

"All right, sir," Ellison replied, his jaw clenching, where it could be seen a nervous tic.

The new detective headed out and Ellison followed.

"Wait a moment, Jim," and Banks closed the door to his office, leaving Detective Madison outside, and lowering his voice, "Don’t ask why she came from New York to Cascade," he said quietly, "I'll explain later." He opened the door again and, with a wave of his hand, motioned for Ellison to leave.

Jim introduced the new detective to the entire gang, who received her with handshakes and wishing her well. Luckily, no one asked her the question Banks had asked Ellison not to ask. Maybe Simon had already spoken to them. _What a mystery!_ thought Jim, _What happened to her in New York?_

 

* * *

 

Jim discovered that time seemed to have passed quickly, when he looked at the clock and saw that it was noon. It had been nice to talk to Detective Madison, keeping her up to date with the cases they were working on and the current procedures of the Unit. He realized that he liked Katie, and that he wouldn’t mind working with her, although at first he’d been reluctant. It remained to be seen how she would behave on the battlefield.

Suddenly, he heard the familiar heartbeat that indicated that Sandburg was in the building. A few minutes later, he saw him coming out of the elevator and smiled as Blair smiled.

Blair's smile faded as he saw a woman sitting next to Ellison. "Hi," he said as he approached the desk, staring at him with a frown.

"Chief, this is Detective Katie Madison. She was transferred from New York. She's going to work some time with us. Katie, this is Blair Sandburg, my partner."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Detective Sandburg," Madison said, extending her hand.

"Pleased to meet you. But, actually, I'm not a detective, just an observer. I'm an anthropologist. I'm studying the police as a closed society."

"Oh, I’m sorry. I thought…"

"Yes, everyone thinks that, when they just meet me. By the way, why did you come so far from New York?"

At this, Jim rolled his eyes. Leave it to Sandburg to ask the "forbidden"question.

The detective lowered her gaze and her face frowned. "Something tragic happened. My partner committed suicide. I couldn’t continue working in the same place. That's why I tried to put distance."

Both Blair and Jim were stunned.

"I'm sorry," said Sandburg, "I shouldn’t have asked that."

"That's what I say," murmured Jim, raising his eyebrows.

"No problem," said Katie, "It's a little painful, but it's been a long time, I'm overcoming it.”

"Well, I'm glad for that," said Jim, "how about lunch?"

"Okay," Blair replied, and detective Madison nodded. Jim reached for her jacket and she thanked him with a smile. _All good so far_ , she thought. _Now I just have to find out if he has sentinel skills._

 

* * *

 

A week went by. Jim and Blair worked with Detective Madison, trying not to give out that the Sentinel had special abilities. When he was analyzing a crime scene, they sent her to question a witness, so that Jim could use her senses without her or anyone else noticing. Ellison still didn’t understand why Simon had assigned the detective to them, knowing that they would need a lot of care so that his secret wouldn’t be disclosed.

However, the detective had watched Ellison and Sandburg very well. She had no doubt that the detective was a Sentinel. She saw it, though from afar, when Ellison raised his nose and inhaled, and also when he used his sense of touch to distinguish substances that were on the ground or objects. Also when watching objects from near, surely to distinguish fingerprints. Even when they were surrounding an abandoned deposit, he’d been able to tell Banks how many criminals were inside. They hadn’t noticed she was listening. She saw Ellison tilt his head slightly, as if listening to a sound only he could hear, perhaps the heartbeats of those inside.

Katie Madison was happy. She had finally found a Sentinel. She had gotten the information that had brought her to Cascade from a former CIA agent who had worked with Lee Brackett. He only knew that Brackett had kidnapped Ellison because he had certain special abilities, but he didn’t know what those skills were. And that Brackett had wanted to use them to steal a high-tech plane. Surely for Ellison to help him circumvent the alarms and other security devices. Katie had had no doubt that Ellison was probably a Sentinel, and also that Sandburg was his Guide. Now she was sure. She'd had to give the ex-agent enough money, but it had been worth it.

Now she just had to give Jim Ellison the kiss of death.

 

* * *

 

Jim was cooking his famous spaghetti sauce while Blair worked on his laptop, sitting at the dining room table. He typed and typed like crazy. It was a Sunday at noon.

Suddenly, Sandburg stopped writing and remained with his hands in the air and his head raised, staring into the void. Ellison, who was watching him, as usual, was intrigued by the sudden quiet of his friend. It was an attitude in which he was almost never seen, always on the move.

"What is it, Chief?"

Sandburg remained still for a few moments, then dropped his arms and shook his head. "I thought I heard a voice," he whispered.

"I didn’t say anything," Jim said.

"No, a voice inside my head. Like that day with the chopec."

Jim looked at the coffee table in the living room. There was the plant Naomi had given them. It had been more than a month since Incacha had passed the way of the shaman to Blair, and that he’d heard the voices of the plants in that greenhouse. The Spider plant had transmitted emotions to Blair, but not words. Since then, he hadn’t tried to communicate with it and then had forgotten his new ability. But now something seemed to be happening. Jim thought that, finally, the plant was trying to communicate with the new shaman.

"Chief, I think I know where the voice comes from. It must be the plant, though it’s hard for me to admit it. "

"You're right, I think it's it."

They both headed for the plant and sat on the couch in front of it. They were silent, staring at it. After a few minutes, Jim asked, "Does it say something to you?"

"It says that we are in danger, that an evil plant wants to harm us."

"An evil plant?"

"That’s what it says. Let me listen, it’s saying something else. "

They were silent for a little while longer.

"It says that plant has taken the form of someone we trust."

"Someone we trust? What does it mean? That Simon is an evil plant? "Jim said the latter with a half smile.

"Jim, I don’t think this is funny, it's very serious."

"Please, Chief. I can believe, with a little difficulty, that you can talk to plant spirits. After all, I regained my senses after speaking with my spirit guide. But I refuse to accept that a plant can harm us, much less that it can take the form of a person. I just can’t believe it. "

"I know, Jim, I know you have difficulty accepting all this spiritual mambo, but the reality is that this plant is warning us of something, I think we should listen to it."

"All right, all right. Let us listen to it. "

They were silent again, looking at the Spider plant. Blair frowned and said, "It says it's a woman and she's already been in the loft." Turning to the plant, he asked, "Do you know her name?"

They waited a few seconds. "It says it doesn’t know, but repeated she's someone we trust."

"Someone we trust and who has already visited the loft ... It could be any of your girlfriends ..."

"Or yours, though I really wouldn’t trust many of them ...," Blair said, with a mischievous smile.

"Ha, ha. Very funny. "Jim was thoughtful, one hand on his chin. "Although ... it could be ... no, it's not possible."

"You're thinking about Katie, aren’t you?" said Blair, who felt a weight in his heart at such suspicion.

"Yes, but it's impossible, she's a cop, one of us. Besides, it can’t be a plant. I think your green friend is a little crazy. Couldn’t  it be a paranoid plant?"

"How can I know, Jim? This shamanism is new to me. Although I have studied many cultures where shamans are respected and venerated, I know very little about what a shaman can or can not do." He looked at the plant and sighed. "I think we shouldn’t be indifferent to what she tells us. I don’t know, be alert, or something. "

"Yes, you're right, we'll be alert. But it can’t be Katie." Having said that, Jim returned to the kitchen to finish his sauce.

 

* * *

 

At the bullpen of Major Crimes, Katie Madison was at her desk finishing a report. From there, the desk was close to Ellison's, she heard that Blair had a party at the Department of Anthropology that night. She smiled, thinking that this was a perfect opportunity to go to the loft, since Ellison would be alone. That way she could conclude her plan. Then go away, with her sentinel skills, under another identity, to steal everything she wanted. She could circumvent any security system, open any safe, and they could never catch her. She would be powerful and millionaire in no time.

 

* * *

 

Jim Ellison had just ordered a pizza on the phone, when Blair came out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and drying his long hair with another.

Jim stared, just like other times, only this time he was feeling something he hadn’t felt before. He was attracted to Blair. He wanted to touch that body, run his fingers through that hair. Kiss those lips.

Ellison was puzzled. He had never felt anything like that for any man. What was happening to him? He looked away, before Blair could tell.

Sandburg entered his bedroom, closed the door, and Jim could hear as he dropped the towel on the floor. Now he was naked. Jim felt a surge of heat run through his body to focus on his crotch. Got damn! He sat down on the couch and put a cushion in his lap, to hide his erection. He could still hear Blair dressing in his room. A few minutes later, he came out, dressed in black trousers and a white shirt. He looked beautiful.

"Well, Jim, I'm leaving. Good luck with that pizza!"

"Good luck with all the party food!" Blair laughed at that, and continued to laugh after closing the door. Jim continued to listen to his heartbeat until he got into the car and started it. And the car engine several blocks later. He sat on the couch, thinking about what had just happened. Obviously, he was physically attracted to the young man, but was that all? Was it just a physical desire, or something else?

Despite being immersed in his thoughts, he realized that there was someone at the door of the loft. He thought it was the one who brought the pizza, but then he felt an unmistakable perfume. It was Katie.

He waited for her to knock, to not frighten her, and then he opened the door with a smile.

"Hi, what a nice visit! How are you?"

"All right. It occurred to me to pay you a surprise visit, since Blair’s not here. So you don’t feel alone," she said, with a dazzling smile.

"Good! Come on in, come in." He led her to the living room, where he told her to sit on the couch. "I just ordered a pizza, if you want, we can share it."

"Okay! I still haven’t eaten."

"Do you want something to drink?"

"A beer would be fine."

Jim went to the refrigerator and took two bottles of beer, opened them and took them to the living room, giving one to Katie and taking a sip of his own. They kept talking about trivia and police work issues until pizza arrived. They ate and kept talking. Katie realized that Jim almost all the time was talking about Blair, that Blair this, that Sandburg the other. When he did, his eyes shone with a very special light.

It was obvious that Ellison was in love with his partner. That was going to make her plans a little more difficult, but she was determined to follow them, no matter the difficulties. Finished the pizza and beer, Katie was silent for a minute. Ellison stared at her, not knowing what to say. Suddenly she said, "Jim, there's something very important that I have to tell you."

Seeing the seriousness of her face, Jim kept waiting for what she was going to tell him.

"I'm in love with you, Jim." She stared into his eyes, waiting for his reaction. Jim opened his eyes as wide as he could and stayed still. He didn’t know what to say.

"I know you didn’t even imagine this, but it's the truth. I love you, and I want to know what you feel for me, if you love me, and if not, if you think you can ever want me. "

At that moment, Jim realized that his heart already had an owner.

"I'm sorry, Katie, but ... I don’t feel the same way. I feel very honored that you consider me worthy of your feelings, but ... "

Katie couldn’t wait any longer, she had to get this over with as soon as possible.

"Jim, I know it might be too much to ask, but could I give you a kiss? Only one, and I won’t bother you any more ... "

Jim thought about saying no, but when he saw Katie's tear-filled eyes, he thought he wouldn’t lose anything with a kiss, and she would feel better. He walked over to her and she walked over to him. Their lips met.

Katie couldn’t be more happy. She prepared to bite Ellison's lip. Then she felt a roar that made her blood run cold.

She looked to the side, without separating from the Sentinel, and saw an immense black jaguar, which showed its fangs, menacingly. Sure, his spirit guide. Katie had no doubt that spirit could finish her with a single blow. Reluctantly, she separated from the Sentinel. She looked at him, saw that Ellison was paralyzed, seemed to be in another world, without seeing or hearing. Surely it was something that had to do with his Sentinel status. She turned her gaze to the jaguar, and slowly moved away. The spirit guide gave her another roar. Katie disappeared behind the door and ran away, down the stairs, not stopping until she reached her car.

 

* * *

 

Blair arrived at the loft at about one in the morning. He opened the door very carefully not to make a sound, so as not to wake the Sentinel. He left the keys in the basket, and when he looked up, he found a completely paralyzed Jim in the middle of the living room. A zone-out. He sighed and approached the Sentinel, and began to touch his face while saying words that encouraged him to wake up.

It took him about five minutes to react, it was a very deep zone-out, who knew how long he had been standing there.

"That's it, Jim, come back to reality, come on."

"Katie?"

"No, Jim, it must have been a tremendous zone-out if you confuse me with Katie. I'm Blair. "

"Where's Katie?"

"I don’t know what you're talking about, she's not here."

"But ... she was here. We kissed, and suddenly, everything darkened ... "

"Katie was here and you kissed her?" Blair felt a surge of jealousy and anger. He hadn’t had a date in months, waiting for Jim to realize what he felt for him, and now it turned out that a New York detective was going to steal Jim from him in front of his own eyes.

"No!" exclaimed Jim, "It's not what you think."

At that moment, Blair felt the voice of the plant, the Spider plant.

_She was here, the woman I warned you about. She tried to steal the Sentinel's body, but his spirit guide saved him._

"Jim! The woman whom the plant warned us about! It's Katie! It says she tried to steal your body, but your spirit guide prevented it."

"That's impossible. It can’t be." Jim sat down on the couch and stared at his hands, which were on his lap. "Katie said she was in love with me, she would never hurt me."

"Jim, that was just to win your trust. Surely that kiss must have been a way to achieve her goals. But your spirit guide protected you. Thank God!"

"I don’t understand anything," Jim said, shaking his head, "You say she's a plant? And that she wants to do us harm?"

"That's what our plant says. And I believe it."

They were silent for a few minutes, Jim still with his head down. Blair sat next to him and put a hand over Ellison's.

"What do we do now, Chief?"

"I think we'll have to consult our spiritual expert."

Jim looked at him, not understanding.

"The plant, Jim."

"Uh."

Blair looked at the Spider plant, and asked, "How do we get rid of this threat?"

_You must send the evil plant to the world of the spirits and there it will be judged and punished._

Blair communicated this to the Sentinel, who inquired, frowning, "To send to the world of the spirits? What does that mean? That we have to kill her? "

The anthropologist turned to the plant again, "How do we do that?"

_You are a shaman. You know how to do it._

"It says I know how. But I really don’t know. I still don’t know anything about this matter of being a shaman, I don’t understand why Incacha did what he did, there should be a school for shamans that I can go to ... "

"Perhaps there is, Chief, perhaps there is."

 

* * *

 

Katie Madison was in her apartment, pacing from side to side of her living room. She had to think what to do now. First of all, she did not intend to abandon his plan to take possesion of the Sentinel's body and his abilities. That was a priority. But evidently she couldn’t approach him in his present person. Ellison's animal spirit would be on guard. She had to pass to the body of someone he totally trusted. Sure! Katie remembered the love in Jim's eyes for Blair. She had to take possession of Blair Sandburg's body. And pretend the suicide of Detective Katie Madison.

 

* * *

 

 "No, Sandburg! We already talked about that and my answer is still no. "

"But, Jim, we have to tell Simon what's going on. How are we going to stop Katie if not? Besides, I'm sure her partner in New York did not commit suicide, but that she killed him. Surely it was something related to what the plant told us. The body in which it’s before, dies. And it’s also sure that a kiss is the way she passes from one body to another. Do you understand, Jim? "

"I understand, although I don’t know how you can draw so many conclusions from so little data."

They were in the truck in the direction of the police station, arguing hotly. Blair didn’t understand why Jim didn’t want to say anything to Banks. Also, most likely Katie wouldn’t show up at the bullpen. Sooner or later they were going to have to tell Simon what was going on.

 

* * *

 

After a while at work, they learned that Detective Madison had called in sick. Blair said nothing, knew quite well that it would be almost impossible to convince the stubborn Sentinel to tell Simon what they knew of her.

At noon they went to lunch, and then Jim took Blair to Rainier. He left him in front of Hargrove Hall and went to the station. Blair went to his office, not noticing that he was being watched. He went in and began to grade his students' works. But he couldn’t stop thinking about Katie, and Jim. Would she give up and disappear? Or would she try again? Blair thought she might not be encouraged to deal with Jim's spirit guide again. He had never seen it, but he imagined that a black jaguar would be quite intimidating.

He felt a soft knock on the door and looked at his watch. It was still half an hour before the students came to see him. Who could it be?

He opened the door and found himself face to face with Katie, who pushed him inside and closed the door quickly. She aimed her gun at him.

"Now you're going to come with me," she said, "and you're going to walk quietly to my car. Otherwise, I won’t hesitate to kill you. I have nothing to lose."

Blair nodded. He wondered what the evil woman would want with him, and suddenly he realized. She wanted to get to the Sentinel through him. How hadn’t he thought of that before? And how was he going to get out of this mess?

They left the office walking side by side, Katie pointing her pistol at Blair through her jacket. They reached the car and Katie pulled Blair into the driver's seat, warning him not to try anything or he would shoot someone at random. At that time there were a lot of people near the University.

Blair remained still and waited for Katie to sit in the passenger seat. She pointed her gun at his waist, so no one could see from outside.

"Now you're going to drive. You'll go wherever I tell you," Katie ordered.

"Katie, what are you doing?" Blair asked. He thought it best to play the fool and pretend he didn’t know anything.

"I'll tell you when we get there. Now shut up and drive wherever I tell you."

After a while driving, he realized that they were going to Katie's apartment. When they arrived, she motioned for him to park in front of the building. They got out of the car both through the driver's door, so as not to stop pointing the gun at the anthropologist.

They entered the building and went up to the elevator. On the fifth floor,  they entered the apartment. Once inside, Katie knocked the gun on Blair's head, knocking him unconscious.

Then she picked him up from under his arms, and sat him down on a chair. She put him handcuffs.

She went to the kitchen and took a beer from the fridge. She opened it and took a sip. Then, she went to the living room, where Blair was, and sat down on the sofa in front of the chair. Patiently, she waited for the anthropologist to regain consciousness.

 

* * *

 

Ellison was interrogating a suspect, sitting in the interrogation room, when he had a rare sensation. Like a tightness in his chest. For a moment, he thought he was going to have a heart attack. He put a hand on his chest. The man he was interrogating frowned at him.

"What's the matter, Jim?" Brown asked, standing against the wall.

"I dont know. A strange sensation. But it's over," Ellison replied, shaking his head. Suddenly he thought of Blair. He felt a sense of danger, as if something bad was happening to his friend. He had never felt that before. He decided it was nothing and continued with his work.

 

* * *

 

Blair awoke with a headache and blurred vision. The first thing she saw was Katie's grin. He tried to move, and realized he was handcuffed. Difficult situation. This wasn’t the first time he had been kidnapped. He hoped that, like the other times, Jim would come and rescue him.

"Why do you do this?" He asked his captor.

"Well, I think you deserve an explanation, before you go into the world of the dead." She laughed in a macabre way.

"My real goal is Jim. I know he's a Sentinel. I know about his skills. I already tried to take his body and I failed. But thanks to you, I will do it this time. "

She got up from the chair and approached Blair. She cupped his face in his hands. Suddenly there was a suspicion. "You don’t have a spirit guide, do you?"

Blair, who was scared to death and still hoping that Jim would appear before that woman kissed him, decided to obfuscate.

"Of course I have a spirit guide! He is a terrible and powerful wolf!"

She laughed. "You lie! I can tell that you're lying. Besides, you're nobody. Why would you have an animal spirit? Who really matters is the Sentinel."

"So you don’t know? I am the Guide. Without me, the Sentinel is useless."

Katie was thinking. From the depths of his memory, she recalled the stories told by the Buddhist monk in the Tibetan temple. The guide. Yes, the monk had mentioned something about him. That always accompanied the Sentinel, he helped him to control his senses. Was it true what Blair was saying?

She decided to take the risk. Certainly a wolf could do her harm, but if she was fast enough, maybe ... She bent over and put the keys on the handcuffs in Blair's hands.

Without a word, she quickly took Blair's face in his hands and bit his lower lip. Blood gushed out and she drank it. A wind swirled around them and a wolf howled.

But it was too late.

 

* * *

 

Ellison looked at the clock on the wall. It was five o'clock. Time to go home. But first he had to pick up Blair at Hargrove Hall. He got up from his desk, said goodbye to Simon and the others, and headed for the elevator. Nothing had been known about Madison all day. Surely she had escaped, perhaps from the state, or from the country. They wouldn’t have to worry about her anymore.

Although that he had felt earlier ... It left him thinking. Would it be a kind of spiritual warning? After all the crazy things he had experienced in the past few weeks, nothing astonished him. He hurried out of the elevator and to the truck. Something was wrong. He didn’t know exactly what, but something was wrong.

He arrived at the University, and there was Blair, perfectly well, standing in front of the fountain with his backpack on his shoulder.

He stopped the truck in front of him and opened the passenger side door.

"Hey, Chief!"

"Hi, Jim!" Blair climbed into the truck with a smile. "I promise I'll have the car fixed soon, and I won’t bother you any more."

"No problem. You know I don’t mind giving you a ride."

"Thanks, Jim, I really appreciate your help,"

Ellison turned to Blair, smiling at him and saw the bruise on his left temple.

"What happened to you, Chief?"

"Oh? Ah, it was a little knock, with a door. It’s nothing."

"Well, if you say so."

Jim started the truck and left the University. The way to 852 Prospect Avenue was done in silence. Jim thought it strange, but he said nothing. They arrived, parked in the usual place, and got out of the truck. They entered the building, the elevator and then apartment 307.

"Shall we order something for dinner? Or do you want to cook something? " Ellison asked.

"Let's order Chinese food."

"Okay for me. You call?"

"Good. What do I ask for? "

"As usual."

Blair kept the phone in his hand, frowning, as if thinking.

"Jim, you won’t believe it, but I don’t remember what you always order for Chinese food."

Jim stared at him in astonishment. Something was definitely wrong.

"What is it, Chief? First, you don’t talk all the way home, then that strange blow to the head, and now this. You feel good?"

Sandburg had a rare look, as if in anger. "Actually, no, I don’t feel well. I think I'll go to bed early. Good night." He went into his room and closed the door.

What's going on? thought Jim. He sat down on the couch and stared at the Spider plant. He wished he had the ability to talk to it. He needed to talk to someone.

Aren’t things wrong, I was thinking of talking to a plant, thought Jim.

If Blair was all right the next day, he’d ask him to talk to the plant. In case it knew anything about the "evil plant".

Although Jim was sure the threat was dispelled. Surely they wouldn’t know anything more about Detective Katie Madison.

He decided to make a sandwich of ham and cheese, and for dessert, a banana. Then he went to the bathroom, then went upstairs to his bedroom. He took off his clothes, left them perfectly folded on a chair, and slipped into bed.

He stared at the skylight, and the stars that were visible through it. He still had that strange feeling. Something was wrong.

 

* * *

 

_Jim opened his eyes and saw that he was in the blue jungle. He hoped to see his spirit guide, but he wasn’t there. He looked in all directions and saw only vegetation. He decided to walk a little and went into the undergrowth. After a few minutes of walking he found himself in another clearing. There was the altar that stood in front of a temple. It was what he had seen when Blair had guided him to his spirit guide, when he regained his senses._

_He looked toward the center of the altar and saw a plant. But it was not any plant, it was "the plant". It was the Spider plant, which was on their coffee table. He wondered what it was doing in the blue jungle, when the plant began to grow and to transform into a human body._

_It was a beautiful woman of African origin, but her skin was not brown, it was green. She was dressed in African fashion, with a beautiful headdress._

_"Hello, Enqueri," said the woman-plant, "my name is Xhosa and I am the spirit of the plant that lives with you."_

_"Hi, Xhosa, it's nice to meet you. I had already recognized you when you were in plant form. Now, can you tell me what we're doing here?"_

_"Yes, I can tell you. Something terrible has happened. Your Guide is in the spirit world. His body is occupied by the evil plant of which I have already spoken to you."_

_"WHAT?!"_

_"Don’t worry, he's not dead. He’s in a kind of limbo, and is being protected by his spirit guide. "_

_"And what can I do?"_

_"For now it’s best to follow the game of the evil plant. But no matter what happens, you shouldn’t allow her to kiss you. She takes possession of another person's body through the kiss of death, which is when she bites his or her lip and drinks that person's blood. Don’t let that happen."_

_"Good to know. Don’t worry, Xhosa, I won’t let her get away with it. But I'm worried about Sandburg. Can I see him?"_

_"No, unfortunately, you can’t see him. But don’t worry, Incacha is also protecting him. "_

_"Incacha ... It's good to know that too. One last question. What animal is the spirit guide of Sandburg?"_

_"A grey wolf."_

_Jim smiled and closed his eyes._

When he opened them, he was in his bed, in the loft.

So, who was sleeping in the downstairs room was not his best friend. It was a killer plant.

It was hard to believe. But he could no longer deny the reality of the spirit world. It existed. And Blair was there.

 

* * *

 

He could hardly sleep that night, worried about Blair. He woke before the alarm sounded. He deactivated it and began to listen, as he always did, the beat of his partner's heart. But, there was something strange, it didn’t sound like always. Another reason to be even more certain that the person in the downstairs room was not Blair.

He wondered how would "the evil plant" take the place in the lives of the people it was robbing their bodies of. Surely, the memories and knowledge of these people would have to pass to her. Otherwise, it would be impossible. He remembered that "Blair" hadn’t known his favorite Chinese food. Something had failed, and the memories of Sandburg hadn’t passed to the plant. Was it because of his shaman status? Would that help him get back to his body? Ellison hoped it would.

He got up, put his robe on, and went downstairs. "Blair" hadn’t gotten up yet.

He made coffee and went into the bathroom. He took a shower and shaved. When he came out, he knocked on the door of Blair's room. "Sandburg! If you don’t get up now, you're going to be late!"

"Blair" got up and hurried out of the room into the bathroom. Twenty minutes later he got out, to find Jim with his arm extended toward him with a cup of coffee. He took it and thanked him.

"There are scrambled eggs, okay, Chief?"

"Perfect, thank you, Jim. I'm going to get dressed and I'm coming. "

Then they ate in silence. When they finished, "Blair" took the plates and silverware to the sink to wash them. Jim went up to his bedroom to get dressed.

When he went downstairs, he saw "Blair" standing in the middle of the living room, with a strange expression on his face.

"What is it, Chief?"

"I'm sorry, Jim. But I can’t wait any longer." He threw herself at Ellison, wrapping his arms around his neck. Jim remembered what Xhosa had said about the "kiss of death" and he pulled away just in time.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?" Jim said, frowning and taking "Blair" by the forearms.

"I want to kiss you, what do you think I'm doing?"

"I see, Chief. But I think you should ask me first if I want to be kissed," Ellison replied without letting go of Blair.

"Of course you want to be kissed. You feel for me the same I feel for you. You can’t deny it."

"I think you're making an incorrect assumption. What I feel for you is friendship, nothing more than that."

"Lie! You love me!"

"You're wrong, Chief."

"Blair" shook his arms and let go of Ellison's grip. He stared at him with wide eyes, and an expression of wonder and confusion.

"But, but ... I would have sworn ..."

"I know, I know. Our friendship is very deep and very beautiful, but it’s not more than that. Friendship. I think you're a little confused, Chief."

The possessed stepped back a few steps, changing his expression to one of anger. He saw that his plans were going through the drainage. But he wasn’t going to give up yet. Although forcing a kiss was going to be almost impossible, because of Ellison's physical superiority, he was going to try. But not now, it would have to be when Jim was distracted.

"Jim, I don’t know, maybe you're right and I’m a little confused. I have to think about it."

"All right, Chief, think about it. Now we have to leave or we’ll be late. Do you have the keys to the Volvo? "

"They must be in the basket, right?"

"If you don’t know, Chief ..."

"Blair" walked to the front door and grabbed a few keys from the basket. "They’re these, no?"

"No, those are my keys. What's wrong? Did you hit your head?"

"No, no. I'm a bit forgetful, that's all. "

Jim went to the basket and gave him the correct keys. "I think you should consult someone about that problem. It’s not normal."

"Yeah, yeah, now let's go."

They left and Jim closed the loft door, thinking he had to do something, before the intruder did something as well.

 

* * *

 

When Jim arrived, Simon was waiting for him outside his office. Surely, he thought, to tell him about Katie Madison's death.

"Ellison, come to my office for a moment."

Banks sat behind the desk and Jim in his usual chair in front of him.

"I'm afraid I have bad news, Jim. Detective Madison died yesterday. They found her dead body burned in her apartment. They had to identify her for her dental records. Everything indicates that it’s a suicide, but it will be investigated."

Ellison was silent, staring at the floor. He thought it was time to tell Simon the truth. But the truth was so crazy, he really didn’t know how to tell him. Simon probably wouldn’t believe him, at least at first, but he had to try.

"Tell me one thing, Simon. The cop who committed suicide in New York, Madison's partner, they also found him burned? "

"Yes ... also ... why do you ask?"

"Simon, there is something I must tell you. It’s very strange. But it’s the truth. You know very well that I am the first skeptic on this question of the spiritual. I had a hard time believing that I have a spirit guide. But I had no choice but to accept it."

"What's so spiritual about the death of Detective Madison?" Banks asked.

"It's just that she wasn’t Detective Madison, it was an evil spirit that possessed her body, after murdering the other cop. He possessed Katie's body and then burned his previous body, feigning suicide. Now she did the same."

"Jim Ellison!" Banks exclaimed, eyes wide. "Do you really think I can believe that?"

"I know it sounds too fanciful, but it's the truth. You have to believe me, Simon."

Simon sat with his head down, looking at his hands that were entwined in his lap. After a few minutes, he looked up. "If that spirit passed into another body ... who is it now?"

Ellison let out a deep sigh. "Thank you for believing me. As for who it is now, that's the really serious thing and the reason I'm telling you this. The spirit is now in Blair's body."

"WHAT?" Banks's eyes widened again. "And where is Blair now? Don’t tell me that…"

"No, he's not dead. He’s in the world of the spirits. And somehow we have to reverse that. I don’t know how, but I will do it."

 

* * *

 

At noon Jim got a call from "Blair." He told him he wouldn’t go to the station, he didn’t feel well. It was obvious that he didn’t want to face Simon and the others, not remembering anything that Blair usually did there. Jim wondered what he would have done in the University. Surely, he wouldn’t have done very well.

He feared that "Blair" would try to give him the kiss of death again. He was going to have to be very careful.

He also thought he was going to have to make a spiritual connection, or whatever it was called, to talk to Xhosa or Incacha. Only then he’d find a way to get rid of the intruder and return Blair to his body.

When he returned to Prospect Avenue, he parked in his usual spot, seeing that the Volvo was there. In addition, he could feel the heartbeat of "Blair", although it didn’t sound like before, in the true Blair.

He went up to the loft, and when he opened the door, he found "Blair" sitting on the couch, watching TV.

"Hey, Chief!"

"Hi, Jim! Why don’t you grab a beer and come here? There’s a pretty good basketball game on."

"Good. I'm coming." Jim took a beer and sat next to "Blair". They watched the game for a while. Jim, inadvertently, under guard. The intruder realized it, and suddenly he threw himself on the detective, looking for his mouth with his.

He made contact, but when he was going to bite Jim pushed him. He fell on the coffee table, almost pulling the plant to the floor.

He threw himself against Jim again, but he was no match for him. Jim grabbed his arms. "Blair" struggled to break free and finally succeeded. He reached under an armchair cushion and pulled out a gun. It was Katie Madison's weapon.

"What are you going to do now? You're going to kill me?"

"No! But if you don’t do as I ask, I'll kill your beloved Blair!" And he aimed himself in the head.

"I already know who you are. I know you're not Blair. Xhosa told me," Jim said, not losing his cool.

"And who the hell is Xhosa?"

Jim looked at the Spider plant. The false Blair followed his gaze. "Ha!" He said with an evil grin, "One plant betraying another." And he lifted one leg to throw the plant to the ground. Jim realized his intention and pushed him, holding the arm in which he had the weapon.

"Blair" fell on the couch. Jim threw himself on him, trying to take the gun away from him.

The gun went off.

Both remained frozen.

Jim felt no pain, so he guessed he hadn’t been shot. That meant that ...

"Ha ha ha!" The laughter of the false Blair chilled Ellison's blood. "You killed Blair! You killed Blair!"

"NOOOOO!" Jim shouted, trying to stop the flow of blood from the wound on his beloved's chest.

With horror, he saw the light of Blair's gaze disappear.

"This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening!"

Jim felt a pain in his chest that he had never felt before. He realized that he loved Blair, as he had never loved anyone.

"Blair, I love you. Don’t leave me." He put his hands on both sides of Blair's face, and saw a light coming out around him.

Suddenly, he had a vision. He saw Incacha, who told him, "Use the power of your animal spirit."

He saw a beautiful gray wolf turning, as if he were moving toward the light behind him.

Jim shouted, "NOOOO!" And the wolf looked forward. A black jaguar was heading toward him. Both animals jumped at each other and melted into a bright burst of light.

Returning to reality, Jim felt a warmth under his hands. Blair was alive. He could feel it.

He watched in amazement as the chest wound closed slowly and the bullet was thrown out. Then the familiar heartbeat he loved so much.

Blair opened his eyes. Jim looked at the brilliant blue and felt his heart swell with love and happiness. This was Blair, he had no doubt. He was finally back.

"Jim?"

"Yes, Blair. It's me."

"Oh my God. I thought I’d never see you again."

"I never lost hope, Blair."

"Yes," Blair smiled sweetly, "stubborn as you are."

Jim smiled gently, too. "How do you feel?"

Blair sat up in the couch. "I feel good. But I really could rest a little. After all, I just died and resurrected."

He was going to get up from the couch and go to his room, when he remembered something.

"Jim, what you said before, was that for real?"

"What do you mean?"

Blair blushed and looked down. "When you said you loved me."

"Ah. Then you heard that."

"Yes."

"Well, it was the truth."

Blair's smile might have illuminated an entire city.

Jim answered with an equally luminous smile.

"I love you too, Jim."

The stoic detective felt his eyes fill with tears. He approached slowly to his beloved, and took, as he had before, his face in his hands. With absolute care and tenderness, he laid his lips on Blair's. The first kiss was very delicate. The second was growing in intensity, as Blair separated his lips, letting Jim's tongue enter his mouth. Tongues danced together in a dance full of passion and love.

Reluctantly, they separated. They looked into each other's eyes, saying with their eyes all they were feeling.

"Blair, if that's okay with you, I'd like you to ..." Jim left the sentence unfinished, suddenly feeling ashamed.

"What, Jim?" Blair reached out and touched Jim's cheek. "Jim, you can tell me whatever you want. Don’t be afraid."

"It's okay. I was thinking maybe we could sleep together in the big bed if that's okay with you. Just sleeping." Jim blushed.

Blair smiled. "I would like nothing more than that."

They holded hands and headed for the stairs. When they reached the top, Jim came to the side of the bed near the stairs, leaving the opposite side to Blair, who shook his head, thinking that the overprotective Sentinel wanted to be in front of any danger that might appear.

Without saying anything, they undressed, Jim staying only in boxers and Blair in boxers and a t-shirt.

They got into bed, lying in the middle. They hugged tightly and kissed.

Although both were tired, especially emotionally, they couldn’t avoid getting sexually aroused. Their erections met and rubbed against each other. After a moment, Jim slipped his right hand between them and took their clothes off the way. Sensing their naked bodies in contact, Blair uttered a cry of surprise and came, almost fainting from the pleasure he felt. Jim, feeling his partner's reaction, came to the most powerful orgasm he had ever felt in his life.

They stilled for a long moment, their eyes closed. They felt deeply satisfied. Then Jim, with the same hand he'd used before, returned their clothes as they were previously. Without opening their eyes, they wrapped their arms around each other and intertwined their legs.

"I love you, Jim Ellison."

"I love you, Blair Sandburg."

In unison, they both remembered that their animal spirits had merged into one being. That's how they felt now.

As one being.

THE END

Disclaimer: All characters from The Sentinel are the property of Pet Fly Productions, Danny Bilson and Paul DeMeo. Characters from any other television show, movie or book are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. We believe the works contained in this archive to be transformative in nature and therefore protected under the 'fair use' provisions of copyright law. 

**Author's Note:**

> Xhosa (meaning "sweet") South African name. The Spider plant is also of South African origin.


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